Apple’s iOS in the Car Feature May Be One Step Closer to Release

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is preparing to bring iOS to your car. The company first announced it was developing an iOS app for the car in June, and it appears the feature may be nearing completion. An iOS developer, Steven Troughton-Smith, launched a sneak peek of the system in action on YouTube on Tuesday, tech website the Verge reports.

Although there’s still no news of which vehicles will be able to support the iOS in the Car integration, Troughton-Smith’s YouTube video provides users with a look as to what the system in action might look like. In the video, the developer emulates a car’s display on his Mac in order to give consumers an idea of how the feature works. For now, part of the difficulty in bringing the iOS in the Car integration to the public is the lack of vehicles that currently support the technology, according to the Verge.

In the video, Troughton-Smith brings up Apple’s Maps application to demonstrate what the display looks like under the most recent version of the iOS in the Car integration. The map fills up the entire car display, though semi-transparent panels at the top and bottom of the screen give users the option of navigating away from the current display to search for a new destination, browse recent destinations, look up traffic and other data for the user’s current location, or view bookmarks.

The iPhone’s familiar home button also appears on the car’s display, allowing users to navigate back to their main screen from any given app, just like on an iPhone.

Searching for locations using Maps is done primarily by voice using the in-the-Car integration, but in Troughton-Smith’s video he shows viewers its also possible to search using an iPhone, in which case the chosen destination is sent to the car’s display.

Apple revealed that the iOS in the Car integration will also have apps for music, messaging, and making phone calls, although in Troughton-Smith’s demonstration, only the Maps app and a music player are demonstrated.

There’s been some speculation about whether the code for the new car integration feature is available on iOS. The feature’s appearance in Troughton-Smith’s demonstration recalls iOS 6 styling, for instance. Apple is currently preparing to ship an updated version of iOS in the Car, the Verge reports, so it may be that it won’t be long before users will be able to evaluate the new feature in person.